#atozchallenge – O is for Obayifo, an African Vampire

Infected by evil, it seeks the blood of the innocent.

An Obayifo is a living man or woman possessed by a vampiric spirit. They walk around West African villages by day, looking no different from any other villager. At night, though, they take on a phosphorescent glow. The evil spirit can leave the physical body in a glowing orb of light, taking terrible tolls on villagers and crops alike. He seeks out small children to drink their blood. He can only be stopped by a village wizard, known as an Okomfo – its best to pay your respects to the local wizard when you pass through remote villages in Africa.

I get a lot of traffic to this one page! I guess it’s not often that you hear about the mythology or folklore of the tribes of Africa, or any smaller tribes from around the world and throughout history.